the faith of men-第27节

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convulsion　endured　she　was　helpless。　　In　a　few　moments　the　spasm

relaxed　and　he　was　left　weak　and　fainting；　his　forehead　beaded　with

sweat；　and　his　lips　flecked　with　foam。



〃Quick！〃　he　muttered；　in　a　strange；　hoarse　voice。　　〃Quick！

Inside！〃



He　started　to　crawl　on　hands　and　knees；　but　she　raised　him　up；　and；

supported　by　her　young　arm；　he　made　faster　progress。　　As　he　entered

the　store　the　spasm　seized　him　again；　and　his　body　writhed

irresistibly　away　from　her　and　rolled　and　curled　on　the　floor。

Amos　Pentley　came　and　looked　on　with　curious　eyes。



〃Oh；　Amos！〃　she　cried　in　an　agony　of　apprehension　and　helplessness；

〃him　die；　you　think？〃　　But　Amos　shrugged　his　shoulders　and

continued　to　look　on。



Bonner's　body　went　slack；　the　tense　muscles　easing　down　and　an

expression　of　relief　coming　into　his　face。　　〃Quick！〃　he　gritted

between　his　teeth；　his　mouth　twisting　with　the　on…coming　of　the

next　spasm　and　with　his　effort　to　control　it。　　〃Quick；　Jees　Uck！

The　medicine！　　Never　mind！　　Drag　me！〃



She　knew　where　the　medicine…chest　stood；　at　the　rear　of　the　room

beyond　the　stove；　and　thither；　by　the　legs；　she　dragged　the

struggling　man。　　As　the　spasm　passed　he　began；　very　faint　and　very

sick；　to　overhaul　the　chest。　　He　had　seen　dogs　die　exhibiting

symptoms　similar　to　his　own；　and　he　knew　what　should　be　done。　　He

held　up　a　vial　of　chloral　hydrate；　but　his　fingers　were　too　weak

and　nerveless　to　draw　the　cork。　　This　Jees　Uck　did　for　him；　while

he　was　plunged　into　another　convulsion。　　As　he　came　out　of　it　he

found　the　open　bottle　proffered　him；　and　looked　into　the　great

black　eyes　of　the　woman　and　read　what　men　have　always　read　in　the

Mate…woman's　eyes。　　Taking　a　full　dose　of　the　stuff；　he　sank　back

until　another　spasm　had　passed。　　Then　he　raised　himself　limply　on

his　elbow。



〃Listen；　Jees　Uck！〃　he　said　very　slowly；　as　though　aware　of　the

necessity　for　haste　and　yet　afraid　to　hasten。　　〃Do　what　I　say。

Stay　by　my　side；　but　do　not　touch　me。　　I　must　be　very　quiet；　but

you　must　not　go　away。〃　　His　jaw　began　to　set　and　his　face　to　quiver

and　distort　with　the　fore…running　pangs；　but　he　gulped　and

struggled　to　master　them。　　〃Do　not　got　away。　　And　do　not　let　Amos

go　away。　　Understand！　　Amos　must　stay　right　here。〃



She　nodded　her　head；　and　he　passed　off　into　the　first　of　many

convulsions；　which　gradually　diminished　in　force　and　frequency。

Jees　Uck　hung　over　him　remembering　his　injunction　and　not　daring　to

touch　him。　　Once　Amos　grew　restless　and　made　as　though　to　go　into

the　kitchen；　but　a　quick　blaze　from　her　eyes　quelled　him；　and　after

that；　save　for　his　laboured　breathing　and　charnel　cough；　he　was

very　quiet。



Bonner　slept。　　The　blink　of　light　that　marked　the　day　disappeared。

Amos；　followed　about　by　the　woman's　eyes；　lighted　the　kerosene

lamps。　　Evening　came　on。　　Through　the　north　window　the　heavens　were

emblazoned　with　an　auroral　display；　which　flamed　and　flared　and

died　down　into　blackness。　　Some　time　after　that；　Neil　Bonner

roused。　　First　he　looked　to　see　that　Amos　was　still　there；　then

smiled　at　Jees　Uck　and　pulled　himself　up。　　Every　muscle　was　stiff

and　sore；　and　he　smiled　ruefully；　pressing　and　prodding　himself　as

if　to　ascertain　the　extent　of　the　ravage。　　Then　his　face　went　stern

and　businesslike。



〃Jees　Uck；〃　he　said；　〃take　a　candle。　　Go　into　the　kitchen。　　There

is　food　on　the　tablebiscuits　and　beans　and　bacon；　also；　coffee　in

the　pot　on　the　stove。　　Bring　it　here　on　the　counter。　　Also；　bring

tumblers　and　water　and　whisky；　which　you　will　find　on　the　top　shelf

of　the　locker。　　Do　not　forget　the　whisky。〃



Having　swallowed　a　stiff　glass　of　the　whisky；　he　went　carefully

through　the　medicine　chest；　now　and　again　putting　aside；　with

definite　purpose；　certain　bottles　and　vials。　　Then　he　set　to　work

on　the　food；　attempting　a　crude　analysis。　　He　had　not　been　unused

to　the　laboratory　in　his　college　days　and　was　possessed　of

sufficient　imagination　to　achieve　results　with　his　limited

materials。　　The　condition　of　tetanus；　which　had　marked　his

paroxysms；　simplified　matters；　and　he　made　but　one　test。　　The

coffee　yielded　nothing；　nor　did　the　beans。　　To　the　biscuits　he

devoted　the　utmost　care。　　Amos；　who　knew　nothing　of　chemistry；

looked　on　with　steady　curiosity。　　But　Jees　Uck；　who　had　boundless

faith　in　the　white　man's　wisdom；　and　especially　in　Neil　Bonner's

wisdom；　and　who　not　only　knew　nothing　but　knew　that　she　knew

nothing　watched　his　face　rather　than　his　hands。



Step　by　step　he　eliminated　possibilities；　until　he　came　to　the

final　test。　　He　was　using　a　thin　medicine　vial　for　a　tube；　and　this

he　held　between　him　and　the　light；　watching　the　slow　precipitation

of　a　salt　through　the　solution　contained　in　the　tube。　　He　said

nothing；　but　he　saw　what　he　had　expected　to　see。　　And　Jees　Uck；　her

eyes　riveted　on　his　face；　saw　something　too；something　that　made

her　spring　like　a　tigress　upon　Amos；　and　with　splendid　suppleness

and　strength　bend　his　body　back　across　her　knee。　　Her　knife　was　out

of　its　sheaf　and　uplifted；　glinting　in　the　lamplight。　　Amos　was

snarling；　but　Bonner　intervened　ere　the　blade　could　fall。



〃That's　a　good　girl；　Jees　Uck。　　But　never　mind。　　Let　him　go！〃



She　dropped　the　man　obediently；　though　with　protest　writ　large　on

her　face；　and　his　body　thudded　to　the　floor。　　Bonner　nudged　him

with　his　moccasined　foot。



〃Get　up；　Amos！〃　he　commanded。　　〃You've　got　to　pack　an　outfit　yet

to…night　and　hit　the　trail。〃



〃You　don't　mean　to　say〃　Amos　blurted　savagely。



〃I　mean　to　say　that　you　tried　to　kill　me；〃　Neil　went　on　in　cold；

even　tones。　　〃I　mean　to　say　that　you　killed　Birdsall；　for　all　the

Company　believes　he　killed　himself。　　You　used　strychnine　in　my

case。　　God　knows　with　what　you　fixed　him。　　Now　I　can't　hang　you。

You're　too　near　dead　as　it　is。　　But　Twenty　Mile　is　too　small　for

the　pair　of　us；　and　you've　got　to　mush。　　It's　two　hundred　miles　to

Holy　Cross。　　You　can　make　it　if　you're　careful　not　to　over…exert。

I'll　give　you　grub；　a　sled；　and　three　dogs。　　You'll　be　as　safe　as

if　you　were　in　jail；　for　you　can't　get　out　of　the　country。　　And

I'll　give　you　one　chance。　　You're　almost　dead。　　Very　well。　　I　shall

send　no　word　to　the　Company　until　the　spring。　　In　the　meantime；　the

thing　for　you　to　do　is　to　die。　　Now　MUSH！〃



〃You　go　to　bed！〃　Jees　Uck　insisted；　when　Amos　had　churned　away　into

the　night　towards　Holy　Cross。　　〃You　sick　man　yet；　Neil。〃



〃And　you're　a　good　girl；　Jees　Uck；〃　he　answered。　　〃And　here's　my

hand　on　it。　　But　you　must　go　home。〃



〃You　don't　like　me；〃　she　said　simply。



He　smiled；　helped　her　on　with　her　PARKA；　and　led　her　to　the　door。

〃Only　too　well；　Jees　Uck；〃　he　said　softly；　〃only　too　well。〃



After　that　the　pall　of　the　Arctic　night　fell　deeper　and　blacker　on

the　land。　　Neil　Bonner　discovered　that　he　had　failed　to　put　proper

valuation　upon　even　the　sullen　face　of　the　murderous　and　death…

stricken　Amos。　　It　became　very　lonely　at　Twenty　Mile。　　〃For　the

love　of　God；　Prentiss；　send　me　a　man；〃　he　wrote　to　the　agent　at

Fort　Hamilton；　three　hundred　miles　up　river。　　Six　weeks　later　the

Indian　messenger　brought　back　a　reply。　　It　was　characteristic：

〃Hell。　　Both　feet　frozen。　　Need　him　myselfPrentiss。〃



To　make　matters　worse；　most　of　the　Toyaats　were　in　the　back　country

on　the　flanks　of　a　caribou　herd；　and　Jees　Uck　was　with　them。

Removing　to　a　distance　seemed　to　bring　her　closer　than　ever；　and

Neil　Bonner　found　himself　picturing　her；　day　by　day；　in　camp　and　on

trail。　　It　is　not　good　to　be　alone。　　Often　he　went　out　of　the　quiet

store；　bare…headed　and　frantic；　and　shook　his　fist　at　the　blink　of

day　that　came　over　the　southern　sky…line。　　And　on　still；　cold

nights　he　left　his　bed　and　stumbled　into　the　frost；　where　he

assaulted　the　silence　at　the　top　of　his　lungs；　as　though　it　were

some　tangible；　sentiment　thing　that　he　might　arouse；　or　he　shouted

at　the　sleeping　dogs　till　they　howled　and　howled　again。　　One　shaggy

brute　he　brought　into　the　post；　playing　that　it　was　the　new　man

sent　by　Prentiss。　　He　strove　to　make　it　sleep　decently　under

blankets　at　nights　and　to　sit　at　table　and　eat　as　a　man　should；　but

the　beast；　mere　domesticated　wolf　that　it　was；　rebelled；　and　sought

out　dark　corners　and　snarled　and　bit　him　in　the　leg；　and　was

finally　beaten　and　driven　forth。



Then　the　trick　of　personification　seized　upon　Neil　Bonner　and

mastered　him。　　All　the　forces　of　his　environment　metamorphosed　into

living；　breathing　entities　and　came　to　live　with　him。　　He　recreated

the　primitive　pantheon；　reared　an　altar　to　the　sun　and　burned

candle　fat　and　bacon　grease　thereon；　and　in　the　unfenced　yard；　by

the　long…legged　cache；　made　a　frost　devil；　which　he　was　wont　to

make　faces　at　and　mock　when　the　mercury　oozed　down　into　the　bulb。

All　this　in　play；　of　course。　　He　said　it　to　himself　that　it　was　in

play；　and　repeated　it　over　and　over　to　make　sure；　unaware　that

madness　is　ever　prone　to　express　itself　in　make…believe　and